The Kippahs on the Yeshiva University Basketball Court Its star player wants to be the first Orthodox Jew in the NBA.
My 6-year-old son was watching basketball in our kitchen when he grinned at me, pointed at a player’s head and said, “Hey, they are wearing kippahs, that’s so cool.” The players ran down the court passing the basketball to one another, confidently anticipating their teammates’ moves. Then guard Ryan Turell made a shot. The Yeshiva University Maccabees celebrated, and we cheered loudly.
The team has won 43 straight games—the longest active winning streak in the National College Athletic Association. The Division III team is filled with hardworking athletes fueled by grit, determination and faith. Several players wear kippoth, the traditional Jewish skullcaps my son noticed.
At school, they attend prayers, practice, and follow a full curriculum of religious studies and general studies classes. Yeshiva University, which began as a school primarily for Jewish studies and is now a multifaceted university, sticks to its roots. Religion and service to community are central to the school’s principles.
Athletic director Greg Fox explained to me in a phone interview, “Ryan Turell, one of our star players, turned down Division I schools such as West Point to come play here, because Judaism in addition to basketball also plays a central role in his life.”
Mr. Turell told ESPN recently that in choosing Yeshiva he didn’t abandon his dream of being the first Orthodox Jew in the NBA. “I want to show kids like me it could be done,” he said. “I want to be a Jewish sports hero.”
Searching the globe for talented players has been the mission of head coach Elliot Steinmetz, a Yeshiva graduate himself. Mr. Steinmetz knows how to train top athletes: His son Jacob, also an orthodox Jew, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021.
“Wearing a kippah while playing is a personal choice,” Mr. Steinmetz said. “I think each player has their own relationship with religion and their own means of expressing it. For some, wearing a kippah is a symbol of that relationship.”
Mr. Steinmetz has recruited top talent from around the world and turned the basketball program into a powerhouse. Many believe the team has a shot at winning a national championship.
Not only are these players crushing it on the court, they are scoring big points with religious kids the way Jewish athletes like Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax and Mark Spitz instilled pride in previous generations.
The team’s winning streak is making history, but what stands out for kids across the nation isn’t only the skill of Yeshiva’s players, but their faith.
Ms. Siegel is a freelance journalist.
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